Capitals Casino Night Raises More Than $400,000

More than 550 Caps fans helped Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation and the Washington Capitals raise $404,428 for charity at the eighth Capitals Casino Night presented by Salamander Hotels & Resorts on Oct. 14 at MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Md.

Casino Night featured the entire team along with coaches and alumni participating in casino games with fans. There also was a drawing and silent auction featuring game-used equipment and autographed memorabilia as well as a live auction featuring interactive experiences with Capitals players.

The money raised will benefit Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation. Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation supports the charitable efforts of the professional teams under its umbrella: the Washington Capitals, Mystics, Valor and Wizards; Baltimore Brigade; and Capital City Go-Go. MSE Foundation is committed to the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area and focuses on the following five pillars to maximize its impact and engagement with the community: youth basketball, football and hockey; education and scholarship; pediatric health and fitness; military and veterans' affairs; and hunger and homelessness.

Attendees were able to mingle with the entire team along with coaches and alumni in the ballroom casino, which featured blackjack, craps, roulette and Texas hold 'em. They were also able to take photos with the Stanley Cup, which was on display throughout the event. The event also included access to interactive games and two photo booths.

Some of the most popular auction items at the event included:
$37,000: Mix It Up! Experience a private mixology class at Dirty Habit, the centerpiece of Hotel Monaco Washington, D.C., with Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby and forwards Evgeny Kuznetsov, Alex Ovechkin and Jakub Vrana. An expert bartending instructor will walk four fans through cocktail basics, technique, infusions and food pairings to highlight each of your cocktails courtesy of Dirty Habit. Experience will take place December 9, 2018.
$20,000:Strike! Hit the lanes with Capitals forwards Nicklas Backstrom, Andre Burakovsky, T.J. Oshie and Tom Wilson. Six fans will bowl with these Caps players at Pinstripes DC in Georgetown on January 7, 2019. The group will enjoy bowling plus appetizers and drinks courtesy of Pinstripes.

Top Capitals silent auction items included a Champions! Acrylic on Canvas by artist Taylor Kampa Olson ($5,200), a Paul McCartney autographed bass guitar ($3,150), a framed 2017-19 team autographed jersey ($2,350) and an autographed Stanley Cup Champions cornhole set ($2,250). Top items overall in the silent auction included a Las Vegas three-night stay with airfare ($3,600), a Key West three-night stay with airfare ($3,300) and a Tennessee Whiskey three-night stay with airfare ($3,000).

Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation would like to thank all of the sponsors who helped make the night a success: Salamander Hotels & Resorts, Carl M. Freeman Foundation, Leonsis Foundation, SWaN & Legend, Neil & Marcy Cohen, Earl W. Stafford, Raul Fernandez, Hercules Fence, Phlipz Media, Show Biz Productions, LLC and SMI Sign Systems, Inc.
To date the Capitals have raised more than $2.5 million for charity through Casino Night.